Greetings Mates, we have been keeping a blog going on iFish.net and we're in the process of expanding our horizons a little. I decided to post some pictures here so people could see the boats we've been working on these past months. The bare aluminum one is in Juneau and the owner sent me an email this week that said he thought the boat was a very good model and he'd discuss that with anyone who asked. The white boat is on its second week in Kodiak and has probably caught 15-20 silvers by now. Our first day out saw 2 kings and 3 silvers in about 3 hours of fishing. The next day 7 silvers in 2 hours. The guy (Doug) can't catch halibut though, I'm back in Seattle now and I keep asking for pictures of halibut and he tells me to pipe down. Halibut tastes better than salmon. Hopefully he catches halibut soon. Besides not catching any halibut, he's a great guy and I hope we did a good job for him. Enjoy the pics.

Review from Caitlin Crandall, owner of Xtaero XT24DV Regular Cabin with 300hp Suzuki.
In answer to Xtaero questions sent August 2, 2016; she replied August 5, 2016

"Travis,

I’ve been off the grid for a while. This summer has shaped up to be pretty tough but buying the boat was probably the highlight, but then I haven’t got to use it nearly enough. I get asked about my boat all the time at work.

I will answer the questions below to the best of my ability but you may want to ask me again at the end of the summer when I’ve got some more stories to tell…. See answers below

XT: What do you think of the welding and structure of the boat?
CC: I’m no welder so I don’t have a lot of experience recognizing the types of welds or structural integrity… But I had the most experienced welder I know and fellow boat-builder give the boat his blessing before I bought it. His exact words were “You won’t find better craftsmanship than this."

XT: How much time have you spent on the water? Any good distance or shady weather trips that made the boat perform well?
CC: I haven’t spent nearly as much time on the water this summer as I would have hoped… Anything short of every day is too little time; but the time I have spent on the boat was amazing. The boat handles smooth and dry in rough chop and handles like a dream in the harbor. I have been putting the shallow draft to good use and white-knuckled-it up some dicey channels on outgoing tides with no issues.

XT. Seamanship? is the boat seaworthy?
CC: The boat is very seaworthy and unconventionally smooth considering the sea-state to size of the craft ratio. I don’t think you could find a smaller boat that will handle as sound in a southwest swell.

XT: Overall is the quality what you were hoping?
CC: Yes. I am looking forward to upgrading to the larger hull as soon as I can. My boat is a great run-about, but I’d like to be able to haul more passengers and take it on longer trips, without sacrificing my preference for modern conveniences.

XT: Price, compared to other semi-custom boats that you could have had made for yourself is the price right for the quality?
CC: Yes. I have been boat shopping for years and I don’t think I could have got a brand new aluminum boat with all of the features I wanted for under $200K in Alaska. Xtaero got me into the boat that I really wanted much sooner than I anticipated."

Note to readers: Caitlin Crandall has held a 100 Ton license for over 12 years and has extensive experience commercially operating vessels - that are very similar in size and shape to the context of Xtaero boats. Usually mono-hull near shore up to 100 tons but also lots of 30'-ish vessels - on charters, research, rig operations and of course recreation. Caitlin is considered an 'expert' in her field in Homer Alaska and the North Slope. Her friends in these pictures are all hard core are either licensed vessel captains, heavy equipment operators, moms, etc and all around awesome chicks. We consider ourselves very lucky to have interesting professionals like these fine ladies as our owners and friends.

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Last edited by xtaero on Sat Aug 13, 2016 1:00 am, edited 1 time in total.

This written review was sent to us recently by Xtaero Boat owner Peter Garay (Homer, Alaska) who had previously reviewed the boat in video form during delivery and was impressed with the boat. These comments are after about 70hrs on the boat in the past few months since taking delivery.

The videos below were taken during delivery in Seward Alaska a few months ago.

Posted, non-edited.

"Xtaero Boat review on our XT24DV Long Cabin.

We ordered this boat in Dec 2015 and asked for delivery to Alaska in May/June 2016. We got it at the end of that timeframe and with the exception of the bottom paint (Blue Seal) which we added about 3/4 of the way through we were not charged more than invoice price on any item. As such the final sales price was what we were originally quoted.

Overall we are very happy with the boat. The structure of the hull and welding is of professional grade which is an opinion several of our local welders who have taken the time to look over the boats construction have shared with us. The seats and cabinetry which were built by Bentley and Hollywood interiors and are both of high quality and durability. The seaworthiness of this boat is particularly noteworthy for a 24' boat as it acts more like a 30' boat, cruising easily in light chop at 27kts burning 2.1mpg's. We've made several 100+nm trips comfortably including one to the Barren Islands in the Gulf of Alaska.

At the time of delivery there were a couple of "new boat items / issues" that Travis saw to the resolution of working with our local Suzuki Dealer and technicians. As we dealt with these items it was comforting for me to see that Xtareo boats stood behind their warranty on these items and paid the bill for all adjustments and repairs which we considered to all be minor for a new build. The only design issue that I would encourage Xtaero to look at improving is the boats fish hold configuration. This could be addressed with the addition of an emancipator pump located directly in the fish hold which would help keep the catch bled, and fresh. On this note I have been told that Xtaero is actively working on implementing this suggestion.

Cost-wise, the price we paid for the boat, motor, trailer, and delivery was most competitive with the quotes we received for other semi custom built Aluminum boats of similar size. In the end, Xtaero met its timeline and budget and, in our opinion, delivered a superior product. The boat not only performs well but aesthetically is also very pleasing to look at as is evidenced by the number of comments she receives around the boat harbor.

All that said we recommend if you are in the market for a new boat and are looking for quality and seaworthiness that Xtaero be at the top of your list.

Best / Pete Garay "

Note: Peter Garay is a 25+ year professional sailor with thousands of days at sea in every kind of boat on the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean. Mr. Garay holds unlimited tonnage licenses and has owned many boats and purchased many boats professionally. He's broken more ice, caught lots of fish, and is very passionate about boats, marine ecology, the marine industry, etc.

He was not paid for these comments, his boat is not a demo boat such as we have placed in Kodiak, and no discount or favors were offered to him in exchange for his videos, comments or opinions. (With the exception of a few celebratory cigars and less than a case of 17yr Balvenie.)

Our first boat took criticism for having a Suzuki DF140 on it. We shipped to Alaska and that boat recently changed hands and new owner re-propped it. Today he sent us this email:

"Took the boat out yesterday. The 17 pitch is spot on, power and holeshot great. Cruise at 30 5600 rpm slight trim up. Possible for 18 pitch but with 17 I can carry load. Surprising is how much better it handles, no wallowing. On step immediately. 75 mile run 22 gals. That’s impressive for these waters.And that is with the new 98# kicker."

Hey Everyone, Here's an update since I haven't posted for a while to follow up on this build. Many of you who follow us know that we finished our second long cabin and it's a pretty awesome build. I've been chided for being wordy, so I'll stick to the details.

This boat is a single, we can build twins, and various cabin configurations.

Package Includes:
Engine (Suzuki DF300APX)
Electronics/GPSMAP/xHD Radome/SIMRAD VHF radio/DownVu GT21 Transducer
Trailer (heavy duty aluminum I-beam construction TuffTrailer)
Shipping to Anchorage is included in the price, in fact it is in Anchorage as I write this.

ps. the blue tape on the deck in the pictures is to cover the sealant (5200) we used to seal the center deck section down. That section is make 'barely' removable in case a gas tank needs to come out years down the line.

My wife and I purchased our Xtaero 24’ Long Cabin in May of 2017. Our plan had been to build a custom 24’ Aluminum skiff in two to three years. We spent a lot of time discussing our layout, plans for use and budget for a boat we felt would give us the best flexibility for use, safety and functionality.

When we went for a test ride in the Xtaero we ultimately bought we realized it met all our criteria without the effort involved in a custom build and at considerable cost savings.

We’ve had the boat for one summer and as usual in Alaska, just didn’t get to use it as much as we wanted. That being said, it just had it’s 100 hour service last month. We had several halibut trips with guests that were very comfortable (and successful) which we wouldn’t have been able to pull off with our old boat. The Xtaero 24’ can accommodate more people in much greater comfort in marginal weather than any similar production boat I’m aware of.

We have loaded up people, paddleboards and picnic stuff for long afternoons across the bay. The “pocket yacht” took six adults comfortably on several occasions with folding chairs on the spacious aft deck. When it is time to leave the rods stowed and just relax, the details on this 24’ make for an excellent platform for fun.

When it gets breezy and chilly, close the cabin door, fire up the heater and get the trolling gear down. We had a very successful summer of salmon catching and I’m looking forward to a lot more time spent this winter finding kings. 4 full grown men don’t have to squeeze anywhere on this boat during a trolling trip.

We made a fantastic trip to the shoal waters of China Poot with my sons and their girlfriends in July. The shallow draft allowed us to maximize our time fishing in this tidal area. Turns out we didn’t need it. The teens came back with 36 dipnet fish in about 20 minutes allowing us to take our time trying to snag a few more. It’s noteworthy that snagging is a family favorite, but can be difficult if you don’t have enough room. For those who’ve never tried it each angler needs quite a bit of space when snagging. Once again, the Xtaero 24’ shines in ways that may never have been intended. It has been my experience that a thoughtful design often has unintended benefits.

While most of our time is “dayboat” use, my wife and I did have a very nice overnight in Halibut Cove lagoon.

After every use I seem to be saying that I love the boat more each time I use it. The large capacity fuel tanks allow longer trips or fewer stops for refueling. The cabin is large and comfortable. The interior is attractive and well appointed. Throughout my maritime career I have been involved in many construction and repair projects of commercial vessels of all types and materials. The highest praise I can give Xtaero is that I believe they are overbuilt – specifically, they are sport boats built like commercial vessels. The materials are high quality and oversized and the construction is rock solid.

Guests always comment on the number and placement of hand holds fitted about the vessel. The visibility from inside the cabin is excellent. The large and sturdy cabin top can hold any toys you care to stow without affecting stability. I have been pleasantly surprised at how much I love the self bailing deck and the swim platform.

Easily my favorite feature of my Xtaero 24’ is the hull design. No production boats and few custom boats are built with this much dead rise, or “deep V”. This is the largest factor in creating a comfortable ride in rough water. Xtaero has managed to incorporate this deep V without appreciable loss in efficiency while still maintaining a very light draft. I find that with the 300 HP Suzuki the best operating speed in moderate chop is 24 knots while burning 11 gallons per hour at 4,200 RPM. This translates to about 2.6 miles per gallon which compares very favorably with similar sized boats. The boat doesn’t pound and the ride is very dry.

When we were first considering buying this boat it was very apparent to us that the quality of materials and workmanship made it a very good deal. After our first summer of ownership we are even more confident that we have purchased a lot of boat for the money. I have owned enough boats to have an opinion on quality. Every aspect of this boat – hull, machinery, design, systems, electronics, workmanship, finishes, support- has been great.

Finally, as a small start up company in a highly competitive market, customer support has to be a high priority for Xtaero. What little need we’ve had for this has been dealt with above and beyond our expectations. I am proud to be an Xtaero owner and expect to see many more of these fine boats on the water in the near future.

Here is a long cabin with a stand up head purchased by a businessman from Valdez and the boat will be heading there soon. The 'fresh' boat getting welded out is the first ever twin and it's available. We'd love to see it go to Alaska and would love to see it in WA or OR as a local demo boat. Either way life will be good.